Modeling Critique, Feedback, and Revision

Austin's Butterfly: Building Excellence in Student Work," from EL Education.

Summary

Many students don’t understand that great final products are informed by critical feedback and many revisions. Additionally, many students feel uncomfortable receiving critical feedback, because they interpret that feedback as a sign that THEY aren't good enough, instead of interpreting it as a way to improve. 

In this video, we see Ron Berger from Expeditionary Learning lead a lesson on the power of critique, feedback, and revision in the development of student work. Specifically, we see him lead the class through the story of a 1^st grade student improving his scientific drawing of a butterfly. This way of highlighting student improvement and success supports students in developing a growth mindset by helping them focus on their progress and growth, rather than just the final product.

Action

Lead a lesson to model an iterative improvement process for students. Focus on the importance of feedback and multiple drafts. In this video you see Ron:

• Ask students to critique another students' work.
• Model how students should respond to critical feedback.
• Lead a discussion reflecting on the process and helpful feedback.